


soft serve

by brandywine421



Series: soft [2]
Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Gen, Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-07 21:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16415915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: The Sister takes the comment as invitation to slide into the pew and he reevaluates her terror. She's fiercer than her heartbeat lets on. "It's more than that. You bring comfort to Sister Maggie and - you keep our city safe," she adds in a lower voice. "You help people."Oh. That's not good. "You must have me mistaken - "She shakes her head. "Of course. Mistaken."Shit. This is against all his new rules. "Does someone need help, Sister?"5 people who ask Matt Murdock for help after the events of Season 3 (+1 that asks Daredevil)





	1. Elizabeth

**Author's Note:**

> 5 people who ask Matt Murdock for help after the events of Season 3 (+1 that asks Daredevil)
> 
> This goes along with my version of Matt et al. from the short h/c piece called 'soft landing' I wrote recently and is marked first in this series. Not necessary to understand this story, but it's linked up in my head because it's all about Matt finding his way and the people that want to help him.

Matt hears the girl, maybe a young woman but her heartbeat is rabbit-fast and he can't get a good read off her other than - terrified but determined.

It's too late for him to check his fly or pat himself down for possible dressing errors before she's gathering her breath at the end of his bench.

"Excuse me, Sir. You are Sister Maggie's friend, yes? She is running late."

 _Huh_. "Yes, Sister," he guesses with a respectful nod. "I don't have a standing appointment, I don't mean to disturb her work."

She shakes her head, her pulse doubling from her error in judgement so he smiles to hopefully calm her nerves. She's here for a reason if she wasn't sent by Sister Maggie. Her voice sounds familiar, he thinks she helped hide him after the attack on the church. She diverted the search dogs - her heartbeat as rapid-fire when she's lying as when she's telling truths.

"I grew up here. Sister Maggie takes pity on me when I visit now that Father Lantom - " Matt starts quietly until he lets his words fall and makes the sign of the cross.

The Sister takes the comment as invitation to slide into the pew and he reevaluates her terror. She's fiercer than her heartbeat lets on. "It's more than that. You bring comfort to Sister Maggie and - you keep our city safe," she adds in a lower voice. "You help people."

 _Oh_. That's not good. "You must have me mistaken - "

She shakes her head. "Of course. Mistaken."

 _Shit_. This is against all his new rules. "Does someone need help, Sister?"

"Oh no, everyone is safe in God's house," she says immediately. "But one of our newest children - his step-sister was sent to her biological father's after their parents' death and he worries for her."

He hasn't worked any child welfare cases in a while but he has a feeling that's not why she's mentioning it.

"Sister Elizabeth?" Maggie isn't pleased that the young woman has taken her seat.

Matt stands up to greet her and allows Sister Elizabeth to squeeze out of the bench. "She thought I needed company. I still have that sad orphan face," he jokes and Sister Maggie relents slightly.

"Curiosity is not a character flaw that makes a good nun," Sister Maggie scolds the young woman.

"Please, it was a kindness," Matt says and she dismisses the young woman and takes her seat.

"She didn't ask any questions about - " Sister Maggie picks up.

Matt shakes his head. "No, I think she was just making sure I didn't leave before I took my weekly dose of guilt and introspection. I figured you put her up to it."

If he overhears Sister Elizabeth telling a kid named Devon that she's officially proven his hunch wrong, then no one has to know.  


 

* * *

 

_"Go ahead, Child, I need to meet your brother so he doesn't get the wrong idea and send the Devil after me."_

Matt can hear the tease in the grandmother's voice but he ducks his head to say another silent prayer to atone for the beating he'd given her son. But he'd overheard the social worker's call to her and doubts she would have let him off any easier after finding out he'd taken custody of her without telling anyone. The father's parole violations took care of any red tape over the girl staying with her grandmother full time.

_"He only goes after bad people, Nana."_

Sister Maggie sits down and he can feel her judging eyes. "What?"

"I've let everyone know that you're not to be bothered inside the church."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Matt lies and she thumps him hard on his knee.

"When's the last time you gave actual confession?" she redirects and he frowns. "You haven't been coming to Mass."

He has no urge to meet Father Lantom's replacement. He hears Sister Elizabeth and the two children speaking with the grandmother and Sister Maggie thumps his knee again.

"You shouldn't have interfered." She's disappointed and worried. "There are other ways than - "

"You're right and I'm sorry," he cuts her off before she has to say it outright. "I give you my word it won't happen again. I'll time my visits better, too," he promises before he can take it back. "But I'm not giving confession. Not here." Not to the new guy. Some stranger.

"You should give him a chance," Sister Maggie says, accepting the subject change.

"I'll think about it," he lies.

She squeezes his hand. "Pray about it. Thinking doesn't end well with you."

 

* * *

 


	2. Theo

  

Theo thinks letting his brother temporarily take over the back room for a law office is a fair enough idea - especially since the 'rent' goes toward keeping him out of jail by helping with the loan payments.

Karen's nice enough - pretty, too but he knows it's not okay to say that out loud - they have pamphlets and everything.

It'll be good to have Foggy around more often - like when Ma needs someone to nag and he's busy at the counter - and he's missed the bastard even if he's still wearing those stupid suits in public.

But Murdock - he's never been sure about that guy. He hopes it's not because he's prejudiced against blind people - he has pamphlets on that, too - but he's pretty sure it's not that. The guy's just...creepy.

He wears fancy shoes like Foggy but Theo *never* hears him coming and isn't he supposed to hear the 'click click' of the tapping stick? It seems unfair. Theo knows better than to say anything 'impolite' about Matt, though - his brother put him on the 'off limits' list with most of Dad's family in terms of proper respect at all times.

So maybe Theo's a little intimidated by the Saint-like Creep that has his brother's undying loyalty but having him work out of the back won't be a big deal if Foggy and Karen keep him out of Theo's space.

He doesn't run into him for the first couple of days; he's busy up front while Foggy and Karen are setting up the back but he's a fan of the extra business from having the shop be a makeshift waiting room for the clients. He's glad Foggy's failed run at DA hasn't ruined his reputation.

A couple of people come in asking for Murdock, but he's smug that 90% of the clients want Foggy.

It takes him three full weeks to figure out that Murdock doesn't use the front door to avoid Theo and he's less smug and maybe a little guilty.

He also, maybe, notices that the sparse clients that ask for Murdock look more terrified than desperate. He's not sure he wants to think about that.

He's already flipped the sign for the night and wiped down the counters when the staff door opens. Murdock steps out with a thin woman that he remembers from a few earlier visits. She always tips more than her snacks cost when she waits for her turn with the lawyers.

"Theo?"

He doesn't flinch. Much. "Yeah?"

"I need to step out for a few minutes, is it okay if Maria waits here instead of the back? Her sister should be meeting her soon," Murdock says in his gravelly 'creeptastic' voice.

"Sure?" Theo replies and Murdock smirks. "I mean, sure."

"Thank you. I shouldn't be long," he nods and disappears into the back again leaving Theo with Maria.

The woman smiles nervously at him. "Thanks. It seems rude to remind a blind man to turn on the lights in his office when he's so on top of everything else."

"Huh. Never thought to check," Theo says. "Lights are always off back there when I lock up. Pretty late for him to be meeting clients."

She smiles and takes a seat by the window. "He works around our schedules, he's a very kind man."

"So I hear. I don't know him that well, he's a friend of my brother's so I have to like him," Theo says before he remembers he's supposed to think inside his head before he speaks outside. He sweeps to have something to do with his hands.

Luckily, Maria laughs. "That explains a lot. Mr. Murdock has no siblings - he's always going to be on good behavior around his friends' family."

A flurry of sirens gives him too much time to think of a response but he knows he has to distract her when she follows the cop cars with her eyes. "Why'd you ask for him and not my brother? Does he have a different legal specialty or something?" Theo blurts out.

"He speaks Spanish," she replies immediately. "No other reason at all."

That makes sense. "I should have figured that out."  
  
She laughs softly. "You are a nice boy. My sister will like you, no ring?"

Theo glances at his own hands. "Oh, no."

She stands abruptly and goes to the door but keeps her gaze locked on him. "Three weeks and you will ask for her number. She will be have her immigration papers back by then."

He's not sure what _that_ means but Maria opens the door and embraces a pretty lady he assumes to be her sister. He forgot to lock the door when he flipped the sign but the women remember and turn the bolt before they turn to him, watery with tears. He holds out a handful of napkins as they chatter to each other in Spanish.

He leaves them to finish putting things away and hears movement from the office. He's not a coward and maybe Maria's right about Murdock being skittish around him because he doesn't want to upset Foggy. He taps on the door and wonders why the guy took his suit jacket off to leave the building when he's caught standing in front of the computer scanner in the dark.

"Hey, Theo. We're not keeping you too late, are we?" Murdock asks.

"Nah. You know what you're doing?" Theo asks in return, trying to figure out how a blind man could make copies when he couldn't see the pages.

Murdock snorts. "Not so much. Do you mind? I need to give the originals back to Maria so she can get them to her sister."

"They're in the front," Theo says, flipping on a lamp so he can see what he's doing. The passport and visa look original but he pauses and grabs a napkin to wipe off a - definitely not blood - smear.

He needs to wash his hands better if he's tracking blood from meat-butchering into the back office. Once the papers are mostly clean, he places the documents on the scanner. "They seem nice."

"They are."

Theo stacks the copies on the end of the desk and holds out the originals. "I didn't know you spoke Spanish. Maybe you can teach me some phrases, you know, to help me at the counter."

Murdock smiles. "Not because my client's setting you up with her sister?"

"Of course not, where would you get that?" Theo flushes.

"Sorry. Let the ladies know I'll be right out and I'll call them a cab. Thank you for your help tonight," he adds.

Theo shrugs. "No trouble, just don't make a habit out of it."

 

 


	3. Bess

"Shit. Brett's here, where's Foggy?" Matt's internal alarms are set to high alert and he doesn't care that Karen flicks a paperclip at him and nails his cheek.

"Maybe he's just here for lunch - you haven't committed any - "

"No, I've been careful," Matt hisses and swats away her next projectile. He hears Brett ask for him directly and winces when affable Theo tells him to come on back. "Shit."

Karen laughs at him and greets Officer Mahoney with a hug and promptly abandons him to run errands.

But he hopes Brett won't arrest him without at least giving Foggy a head's up.

"Murdock, just the man I'm looking for."

"Do I need legal counsel?" Matt replies, motioning toward a seat, he hopes, and not the milk crate Karen keeps moving because of reasons.

"You need a lot of things, but that's not why I'm here."

"What's the occasion then?" Brett's always been Foggy's friend, Matt had known 'of him' growing up, but the Catholic school limited his interaction with the neighborhood kids in the Kitchen.

Brett takes a deep and possibly frustrated breath. "Ma runs bingo on Thursdays at the rec center."

Everyone knows that. "Sure."

"Nellie Horowitz got mugged on her way home a few weeks back." Matt clenches his fists and forgets who he's talking to until Brett snorts. "You didn't know?"

"I was...under the weather for a while."

"Under the weather or a building?"

He tilts his head to give the cop his point.

"Next time, just say rehab. Ma gave it a couple of weeks," Brett sighs. "Wanted to make sure the Devil wasn't retired again before she asked me to visit."

"Oh." _Shit_.

"Right. Ma runs bingo on Thursday. Usually lets out around - "

Matt raises his hand to stop him. "I remember. Is Mrs. Horowitz okay?"

"Mad as hell but still hasn't missed a game night."

He nods. "Good. From what I remember, her eyesight's not the best but do you know who - "

"Not sharing the details of an open investigation with you," Brett replies in a huff. "They took her late husband's watch, though, meant a lot to her."

He can work with that, he remembers the sound of that particular watch from every braille book she ordered and stamped for him to check out at the library. "Okay."

"Just okay?"

Matt shrugs. "What else am I allowed to say here?"

"Right."

"Please give your mother my best, Brett, and stop by any time. Preferably when Foggy's here," Matt adds, returning his handshake.

"Absolutely," Brett chuckles.  


* * *

  
Bess watches as the room slowly clears out; taxis, grandchildren and Ubers on the way. She's going to give her boy a piece of her mind for not following through on his promise. She takes Mrs. Horowitz by the arm and walks her to the street as the security guard finishes putting away the chairs and waves his goodbye.

"My numbers were on fire tonight," Mrs. Horowitz grins through her wrinkles. "And it's such a nice night to walk."

Bess fights off her frown. "Are you sure you don't want to take a cab, Nellie?"

"It's two blocks and I need the exercise," she scoffs as they step out to the sidewalk.

"Still, let me walk you," Bess says, linking their elbows. They make it to the end of the first block before her son's cruiser rolls to a stop and honks.

"Is that your boy?"  Mrs. Horowitz squints at the car.

Brett climbs out with a polite nod to her before addressing Mrs. Horowitz. "Ma'am, sorry to bother you this late," he winks. "But I wanted to make sure and return this to you."

Mrs. Horowitz clasps her hand over her heart before she snatches the evidence bag with her husband's watch. "Thank you - where did you - "

Bess glances up and spots a figure standing on the roof. "Oh." Brett accepts Mrs. Horowitz's hug and puts his finger to his lips to hush her over the old lady's shoulder. When she looks up again the roof's empty. Of course.

"Climb in, I'll drop you off, Mrs. Horowitz, and you can sign off that we've returned your property. Ma?" Brett holds open the door.

"You know what? It is a nice night to walk, you go ahead. Nellie, I'll see you next week," Bess grins.

 


	4. Betsy

 

  
"Ms. Beatty, thanks for coming," the oddly exuberant lawyer greets her with a firm handshake. For a terrifying moment she thinks he's going for a hug but he seems to recover himself and leads her into a cramped office in the back of the butcher shop.

She's definitely making this lawyer buy her a sandwich for wasting her time. "What's this all about?"

"He didn't tell you? Of course he didn't, have a seat, please," Mr. Nelson says, actually pulling out the rolling chair for her as if he thinks she's going for the milk crate instead. "My partner - "

Voices from another room override whatever he's about to say.

_"You either overreact or ignore anything I say - "_

_"No, I don't - "_

_"You said you would come to Mass - "_

_"I've been busy - "_

_"Yet you manage to show up after dark when your bat-ears tell you the priest is gone - "_

_"You can't prove that - "_

Mr. Nelson gives her an apologetic smile and reaches into a drawer and retrieves a rubber ball. He squeezes it until it squeaks and the argument stops. The door opens and a short nun and rumpled blind man step out of what looks to be a stockroom. "I apologize for my partner," Mr. Nelson says.

The nun turns to Nelson's partner and stares him down - damned hard against a blind man - but the guy visibly deflates. "Please stop avoiding the church during daylight hours."

"I will make more of an effort," the man replies.

The Sister nods and stalks out of the office.

Nelson breaks the silence. "I am **so** sorry about that. Matt Murdock, my partner, is the reason I asked you here. One of my clients has been shuffled around and they're assigning him to your caseload."

Betsy doesn't know Murdock. She thinks she'd recognize a blind man that filled out a suit like that.

"I thought I would be finished with my lecture before anyone arrived. I was also told no one could hear us talking in the storage room," Murdock replies, prim as he sits.

" _Talking_ , not arguing," Nelson corrects.

She shakes her head to try and get out of this surreality. "Guys. Why am I here again?"

"We're not usually this unprofessional, I promise," Murdock takes over. "Have you had any trouble at your job after your unscheduled vacation?"

Who the hell is this guy? "I don't think that's any of your business."

"We know that there were some threats toward your office from Wilson Fisk," Murdock continues evenly. "We have several clients that were under his thumb, unwillingly, so we've been given permission by the court to vet their possible parole officers, social workers, _etcetera_."

She only had one parolee that ever worked with Fisk. "How did you get my name again?"

"Definitely not from my client, he's very good at following instructions when it comes to keeping you out of it. He is not Matt's client," Nelson says, pushing a file across the desk to her.

"It's probably best that I never meet Mr. Potter in person. But I wanted to make sure and meet _you_ ," Murdock says.

She glares at him and he tilts his head. The shadows from the blinds stripe his face and she inhales. "You're - "

"Ms. Beatty. If Mr. Potter ever requires legal help, Foggy's your first call. If he ever finds himself in need of any _other_ kind of help - "

"I'm still your first call," Mr. Nelson cuts him off.

Daredevil's a blind guy who's afraid of nuns. Fuck Melvin's armor, this is the kind of hero she can get behind. "He thought you were dead, you know. After that shit down in Midland Circle - "

Murdock sighs. "He knew about that?"

Betsy hums. "So that was you. Your girl, too?"

"How would he - " Nelson blurts out.

"Melvin always keeps his ear to the ground," Betsy shrugs, proud of him.

"Will you let him know that I'm very sorry that I couldn't keep my promise? I was out of the game for a while," Murdock says softly.

She flips open the folder. "He _never_ stopped making shit for you."

"We're going to get him out under a work-release program contracted for the police. They could use some better body armor after this last clusterfuck," Nelson mutters under his breath. "Mr. Potter was a contributing member of society under the rules of his parole until he was victimized by Fisk. If you're comfortable, Mrs. Beatty, we'd like to return his case to your supervision."

"He can come home?" Betsy whispers.

"Soon, we're still working on the details but give me a few days and he'll be out of protective custody and placed in a halfway house that looks good on paper," Nelson says.

She raises her eyes to pin a stare on Murdock that she hopes will threaten him as much as the nun's. "If he gets in trouble again, you'll come?"

"If I'm physically capable, absolutely," Murdock replies and _fuck her life_ , she believes him.

"But still call me first," Nelson reminds her. "For this entirely hypothetical scenario."

"Sure," she agrees. "If you comp one of those sandwiches for my time."

 


	5. Lulu

 "You're so grumpy in the mornings," Karen laughs, elbowing him as she climbed out of the Uber she forced him to call this morning when he balked on a taxi and she refused to walk in the rain.

"You and Foggy are the ones that told me to stop faking it," Matt replies, grateful for her height for maximum umbrella coverage. He's a little unsteady and she's tuned in and gets them both to the shelter of the butcher shop.

"There's someone here already, Theo must've let her in," Karen warns him as she pushes open the front door without using her key.

Matt doesn't recognize her but he can calculate she's nearing or past elderly but in clean and dry clothes so not a low end client. She shuffles over to them immediately as Karen puts the umbrella and their jackets away. "Ma'am?"

"Are you Mr. Murdock?" she asks in well-practiced but broken English. He nods in assent, curious to place the accent.

"My name is Lulu. Luljeta Jusufi. You are clean lawyer, yes?" Her words come faster, looser than he can take in all at once. "Vicky says you are good with the law, my family is not good with the law. I am not like that part of family."

Matt flinches and Karen cups her fingers around his elbow. He forgot about the Albanians. He forgot about the deal he made. _Fuck_.

"You all right?" Karen whispers.

"You're a relative of Vic Jusufi?" he asks, but he doesn't hear any unfamiliar heartbeats or smell any extra gunpowder in the vicinity. The rain cuts his distance but he would have sensed something outside, he hopes.

The woman nods firmly. "You kept promise, you not snitch. I am not in Vicky's business, my family is _clean_ \- we need clean lawyer."

"Ma'am, what kind of legal services are you looking for?" Karen asks, careful not to release her grip on his arm since she's out of this particular loop.

"The bank try to take my son's house. He is not in Vicky's business but nobody want to help a Jusufi now," she says with a distant look. "Vicky brings shame to his grandfather's name but - "

Matt raises his hand and she hushes. "Mrs. Jusufi, I'll be glad to take a look at your son's case but you understand why I'm hesitant to accept you at your word."

She nods furiously. "Yes, that is why I come in person. Vicky said you would not help if it was about dirty business."

She's not lying. She's not scared. She's _desperate_. He covers Karen's hand and feels her nod.

"My name's Karen Page, I can take your information while my boss gets the office up and running," she says, releasing him to offer the old woman her hand to shake and a steadying arm.

"I'm not her boss, she's a partner. Wouldn't have an office without Ms. Page," Matt corrects, taking out the keys to the staff door as Mrs. Jusufi's pulse settles under the practiced banter.

He's not sure what Foggy's going to think about him accepting referrals from Albanian mobsters but if the woman's family is being wrongly persecuted then he hopes the case won't be outside of their core goals. Plus, Karen's on board so he's got a witness to his possible insanity.


	6. Marci

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You probably do need to read the first part in the series to get why this goes down.

Foggy doesn't know why Marci and Matt decide to have their come to Jesus talk _tonight_ but there was a phone call and an invitation and now _this_ is happening.

He's not sure what to think about ' _this_ '.

Matt has a splash of Foggy's best ' _movin' on up_ ' scotch and Marci's sitting with Foggy with her favorite ' _because I'm worth it'_  white wine and he's not sure anyone's walking out of his apartment alive.

"Marci. Before we get to the main event, I'd like to clear the air," Matt says. Foggy wonders if he knows how snooty he looks when he tilts his head and his jaw like that. "I am actually blind but I have enhanced senses, including very sensitive hearing."

Marci opens her mouth but thinks better of it and snaps it shut with a narrowed glare at Foggy.

"With that in mind, allow me to apologize for judging you for things I wasn't meant to hear," Matt says.

Wait, _what_? "Matt, what does - "

Marci hisses. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You were in a sorority with a lot of liars," Matt replies evenly, taking a sip of the fanciest scotch. "I never laid a hand on any of your 'sisters' - God, they all smoked those clove cigarettes - "

Marci chokes sharply. "Fuck you. Ellen and Alice said - "

"I had four partners, if you need it on record - Elektra, Thalia, Ollie and Diana," Matt names off fiercely and Foggy knows three out of four. "I'm not a homewrecker. I used promiscuity as cover for when I was training or - I'm Daredevil, and I know that you love Foggy and I would really like you to hate me for the right reasons."

Foggy raises his hand. "Who the fuck is Ollie?"

"Guidelines say I don't have to tell you that," Matt replies, prim. He slides his fingers around the rim of his glass. "Marci, I'm not denying that I've been a shitty friend to Foggy, and everyone that matters to me...but I'd really like a chance to be a part of his life again. Yeah, I have a creepy hearing thing and I hear absolutely _everything_ people say about me if I want to listen - but I also heard you take up for Foggy and give entirely too much information about his skill level to those _harpies_ so - "

Foggy's not sure if he's more touched or horrified at the idea.

"Oh shut up, Asshole," she cuts him off. "Ollie was president of our brother fraternity, of course Ellen and Alice would pump up your reputation if you were banging that guy - you really have shit taste in relationships, don't you?"

"Guidelines say I don't have to tell you that," Matt repeats after a beat.

There's a long moment where Foggy's afraid his fiancee's going to flip an actual table.

"So. Daredevil?" Marci exhales finally.

"Yeah."

"Good," she nods. Foggy blinks at her. "What?"

"You're 'good' with it?" he asks.

Marci blinks right back. "Of fucking course I am, have you even watched the news lately? They are building giant robots in Tokyo because of underwater monsters and that Wakanda shit is wild - he's Daredevil so we're already set for where to go when the world ends - we have our superhero on speed-dial, Foggy, the fuck is your problem?"

She turns back to Matt who's gulping the last of the scotch. "Daredevil needs to network. Reach out to Captain America's team, or that giant guy from California - I think he could fight monsters - "

"Marci!" Foggy interrupts.

"I'm not doing that," Matt says, covering his face. "I'm supposed to cut back, or retire - "

"Like hell," Marci snaps. "You just came back, if you disappear again who knows what would happen. Yeah, Foggy needs Matt Murdock but the world needs Daredevil so you better make sure those new guidelines don't leave the Devil's friends out in the cold."

" _Jesus_ , do you want me to take back Matt's best man status and give it to Daredevil?" Foggy boggles at her.

"No. I just want **you** _with_ **me** at the next alien invasion and know that somebody we trust is outside making it safe," Marci crosses her arms defiantly.

"I'm getting another drink," Matt says.

Foggy lowers his face to the table and wonders where he went wrong.

"Seriously, Foggy, you have to get Daredevil back on the map, maybe introduce him to Spiderman or - "

"Bring the bottle, Matt!" Foggy calls.

 

 


End file.
